By Casey Smith
Indiana Capital Chronicle

INDIANA — Indiana’s Republican gubernatorial candidates continued to carve out their own policy paths while speaking at an Indianapolis legislative conference Wednesday, where they fielded questions about public safety, school choice and taxes.

The five hopefuls, who took a few shots at each other, are vying for the GOP nomination in the race for the state’s top elected seat in 2024.

The candidates did not debate against one another during the forum, instead individually introducing themselves and responding to four questions from a moderator.

Participating candidates included former Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Fort Wayne businessman Eric Doden and former Attorney General Curtis Hill. U.S. Sen. Mike Braun was missing from the group — away in Washington, D.C. alongside other federal lawmakers — but his pre-recorded video responses were played for each question.

Braun changes stance on qualified immunity

The GOP contenders were first asked about their plans to improve public safety and where they stood, specifically, on qualified immunity — a controversial standard that protects police officers and other government officials from being sued for alleged misconduct.

Hill cited his career spent as a local prosecutor and maintained that, if elected governor, he would ensure law enforcement has the “resources, training and protection” they need “to protect our public and our safety.” He did not, however, address qualified immunity head-on.

Crouch also avoided qualified immunity, instead emphasizing the importance of addressing mental illness and addiction — as well as providing regular mental health checkups for first responders.

Doden, on the other hand, vowed to protect qualified immunity: “You should not be able to be sued, personally, for doing your job.”

“We have to make sure we support those who protect us,” he continued, adding that Indiana’s governor should play an active role in recruiting young people to join law enforcement.

Chambers agreed, saying police officers “don’t do it for the money — they do it to serve.” He said qualified immunity “needs to be codified in state law.”

Braun said he wants it codified, too. Doing so will help “get rid of frivolous lawsuits” filed against law enforcement officers.

Although Braun said he prefers to see such a policy enacted at the national level, that’s a change from his previous statements in 2020, when the senator said the interpretation of the qualified immunity standard was “overly broad” and “allows law enforcement in many of the high-profile excessive force and abuse of power cases to avoid civil suits.”

A previous bill he introduced in the U.S. Senate would have allowed qualified immunity to be used as a defense only if the officer’s conduct is already protected by law or a previous court ruling.

At the time, Braun said “… it straddles that balance between eliminating frivolous lawsuits” while allowing people whose rights have been violated to make a case.

He later backed away from the proposal.

‘Axe’ the tax?

A bold proposal from Crouch to eliminate Indiana’s personal income tax was also discussed — and critiqued — by the gubernatorial slate.

Crouch’s mantra holds that the tax can be “axed” completely without raising any other taxes on Hoosiers. Crouch’s plan calls for a “reasonably necessary” reserve fund, along with identifying and eliminating “wasteful government spending,” but other specific details remain scant.

Even so, she doubled down Wednesday that tax dollars saved by Hoosiers would go back into the state economy. The move would also incentivize workers and companies to move to Indiana, Crouch said.

Chambers said he agreed with a plan to reduce taxes over time, but not in a single, extreme swoop. He said at least some personal income tax proceeds should be invested into “needs of the state,” like health care and education.

Chambers additionally said reducing income taxes could cause property taxes to go “too high.”

Hill said he liked the sound of income tax elimination, but making it happen “will take a lot of maneuvering — and time.” The candidate alternatively supports reductions to gas and corporation taxes. He’s also proposed a personal income tax elimination for young people and seniors.

Braun was more targeted, saying Crouch’s plan “was probably done without thoroughly thinking through that it’s one-third of our state revenue.”

“Obviously, you cannot axe the tax,” he said, noting he is committed, though, to curbing state agency spending.

Doden was also skeptical.

Doubling down on ‘school choice’

All five candidates support ongoing Indiana GOP efforts to expand “school choice” options for parents, including the state’s near-universal private school voucher program.

Chambers said Hoosier parents “need to be front and center in their kids’ education.”

“We’ve made progress on choice, and we need to make more progress,” he said, adding that education statewide needs to better prepare students to fill Indiana’s growing skilled workforce demands.

Doden said although some have criticized Indiana’s voucher and charter school options, Hoosier educators he’s talked to say “the competition” public schools face “has actually made them better.”

Crouch said she would “continue to be a big proponent of school choice” as governor, but cautioned that “choice” will look different in the future, given that the K-12 experience in Indiana is shifting now toward more hands-on and work-based learning options.

Hill said “choice is vital,” but focused more on what kids are taught. The candidate said he opposes “gender ideology programs and social justice” in the classroom, and that “we need to teach children how to think critically.”

Along similar lines, Braun said “parents need to be the main stakeholders in their own kids’ education,” noting, too, that K-12 instruction “needs to get back where basic education is taught to our kids.”

He further echoed the other candidates’ calls for expanded career training for high schoolers, as well.